Just how big is the Solar System in which we reside? This 7 minute film by Wylie Overstreet and Alex Gorosh will put it in perspective. Without giving away all of the surprising details, using a marble as a scale representation of Earth, they needed over 7 miles of dry lakebed to fit it all in.
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The URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR3Igc3Rhfg
For the last recommendation of the school year, have a look at this quick video clip that shows how sound waves make polystyrene balls appear to defy gravity. It’s a great discussion on sound waves, frequency and standing waves.
The URL: http://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/outrageous-acts-of-science/hi-fi-2/
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And with that, we conclude the 17th year of The Teacher List! I want to thank everyone who has signed up, sent in recommendations and passed on the recommendations to your friends and colleagues. Have a safe and relaxing summer. We’ll catch up again after Labour Day in September.
-Pete
My pal, Des, told me about Windyty. From the site: “Windyty is a mesmerizing, searchable, interactive map of wind patterns around the world. Not only is it beautiful to look at, it’s packed with information: You can search for a specific location, zoom in and out to see granular details, toggle along a timeline to see past and future wind patterns, and expand to see detailed weather forecasts. Prepare to settle in—you’re going to be playing with this thing for a while.”
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The URL: http://www.windyty.com
My pal, Karen Gwozd-Cornish, told me about this interesting site from the University of Colorado Boulder. PhET is a collection of simulations geared towards students of all ages who can conduct studies, demonstrations and experiments with virtual equipment and machinery. From the site: “As users interact with these tools, they get immediate feedback about the effect of the changes they made. This allows them to investigate cause-and-effect relationships and answer scientific questions through exploration of the simulation.” It would be worth your time to view the video clips offered that explain the program and its foundations.
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The URL: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/new
Who doesn’t love a good Peregrine Cam, especially when there’s action to watch! Your students might be interested to know that the Peregrine living at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, laid her first egg at 3:58 this morning. There are other cams on this particular site, hosted by the Alberta Conservation Association. And of course, there are dozens of webcams out there on the ‘net. Spring is a good time to observe the bird cams.
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The URL: http://www.ab-conservation.com/go/default/index.cfm/media/peregrine-cam/watch-the-peregrine-live/u-of-a-peregrine-camera/
Here is an engaging interactive using football (or soccer if you prefer) to teach about math and science concepts. There are developing/learning activities and self-assessment activities.
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The URL: http://www.skoool.co.uk/1goal/